The African University of Science and Technology (AUST) and Mayyas Consulting Ltd. have formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a collaborative framework focused on securing international research grants, advancing cross-sector projects, and accelerating the commercialization of academic research.
The formal MoU signing ceremony brought together executive leadership, academic heads, and technical representatives from both institutions to establish an operational alliance between higher education research and private-sector commercialization.
In his welcome address, Prof. Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, FAS, President of AUST, emphasized the importance of actionable outcomes over bureaucratic delay. He urged the joint technical team to translate the strategic partnership into measurable deliverables and tangible results within the coming months.
Dr. Jasper Ogbonna, CEO of Mayyas Consulting, delivered the remark on behalf of Mayyas Consulting Ltd., assuring the university leadership that the agreement would be backed by immediate execution. He pledged that Mayyas Consulting is fully committed to mobilizing its capacity to ensure the partnership hits the ground running on joint project formulations and grant applications.
In her remark, the Director of Research and Innovation at AUST, Dr. Eunice Akpala-Okoroafor, underscored the readiness of the university’s academic and research ecosystem to support the alliance. She noted that AUST possesses experienced researchers and strong institutional capacity capable of leading grant proposal development, expressing confidence that the collaboration would be active, productive, and mutually beneficial rather than a mere formality.
The partnership framework links AUST’s academic and institutional capacity, represented by its Directorate of Research and Innovation, the School of Engineering, and the AUST Consultancy/Global Funding Unit, with Mayyas Consulting’s industry networks. Key pillars of the cooperation include: Grant & Funding Acquisition, Commercialization of Research, and Project Scaling.
The event concluded with the formal endorsement of the cooperation agreement by the leadership of both organizations.
In the vote of thanks, Dr. Vitalis Anye, Dean of the School of Engineering at AUST, expressed appreciation to the organizers and legal teams for finalizing the framework. He highlighted that joint technical discussions were already underway, particularly regarding expanding existing funded initiatives, and expressed confidence that the synergy with Mayyas Consulting would yield swift benefits for both parties.
Joining the AUST President at the event were, Dr. Eunice Akpala-Okoroafor, Acting Director of Research and Innovation; Dr. Vitalis Anye, Dean, School of Engineering; Mr. Ben Okonkwo , Bursar, AUST; Dr. Anthony Anyakora, Head of ACSU; Dr. David Afolayan, Head of Department, Mechanical Engineering; Mrs. Gloria Akaegbu, Head of Department, Multilateral Services; Prince Obioha Atulomah, Head of Media & Public Relations
The delegation from Mayyas Consulting Ltd. was led by Dr. Jasper Ogbonna, Chief Executive Officer; accompanied by Dr. Ifeanyi Maduechesi, Director; and Dr. Iruoghene Odenu, Consultant.